Poultry crisis in Andhra Pradesh

Why in news?

• The Ranikhet viral disease has killed lakhs of chickens.

Key points:

• The disease is spreading rapidly in Andhra Pradesh's Godavari districts, Eluru, Guntur, and Prakasam.
• This situation has become a big challenge for poultry farmers.

What is Ranikhet disease?

• Ranikhet disease is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease that mainly affects chickens and other birds.
• The disease is caused by the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) of the Paramyxovirus family.
• It is a serious problem for the poultry industry as it spreads rapidly and causes high mortality.

History of Ranikhet disease

• The disease was first identified in Java (Indonesia) in 1926.
• In 1927, cases were reported in the city of Newcastle in England, giving it the name Newcastle Disease.
• The disease was first observed in India in 1939-40 in the Ranikhet area of ​​Uttarakhand, giving it the name "Ranikhet disease".
• The disease is mainly seen widely in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, but cases are also reported in other parts of India.

Which birds does it affect?

• Mainly: Chickens, ducks, partridges, pigeons, guinea fowl, koels and crows.
• Birds of all ages are affected, but chicks aged 1 to 3 weeks are most susceptible.
• This is a serious issue for poultry farm operators. 
• The incubation period of this disease is between 2 to 5 days and in some cases it can be up to 25 days.
• 40 to 50 percent of chickens die due to the spread of this disease. If the disease reaches its peak, up to 100 percent of chickens die.

Major symptoms of the disease

• Coughing and sneezing
• Loss of appetite
• Cramps in neck
• Lethargy in birds
• Thin and green diarrhea
• Liver failure
• Loss of balance (paralysis of one or both legs and wings, tremors in birds, sneezing)
• Staggering walk
• Staring towards the sky
• Neck starts rolling to one side
• Significant loss of body weight
• Decrease in egg production.

Vaccination for prevention of the disease.

• F1 strain vaccine (for chicks of 1-7 days of age)
• Lasota Vaccine (for chicks of 3-4 weeks of age)
• R2B vaccine (for chicks of 6-8 weeks of age)

Other diseases affecting chickens. 

Viral Diseases

• Bird Flu

Cause: 

• Avian Influenza virus (H5N1, H7N9)

Symptoms:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Swelling of head and legs
• Sudden large number of deaths
• Mortality rate: 90% - 100%
• Infectious Bronchitis

Cause: 

• Corona virus

Symptoms:

• Sneezing and coughing
• Small size of eggs
• Low egg production
• Gumboro Disease

Cause: 

• Birna virus

Symptoms:

• Lethargy and weak appearance
• Diarrhea and loss of appetite

Bacterial Diseases

• Fowl Pox

Cause: 

• Avipox virus

Symptoms:

• Skin and mouth lesions
• Swelling of eyes
• Infectious Coryza

Cause: 

• Haemophilus paragallinarum

Symptoms:

• Swelling of eyes and face
• Watery discharge
• Salmonellosis

Cause: 

• Salmonella bacteria

Symptoms:

• Thin green diarrhoea
• Loss of appetite

Parasitic Diseases

• Coccidiosis

Cause: 

• Eimeria parasite

Symptoms:

• Bloody diarrhoea
• Lethargy and weight loss

Other diseases

• Heat Stress

Cause: 

• High temperature

Symptoms:

• Heavy breathing
• Sitting with wings spread